County resource guide
Autism Resources in Carter County, Tennessee
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Carter County. Tennessee statewide resources also apply.
Carter County — home to Elizabethtown and Roan Mountain — is in far northeastern Tennessee. Sycamore Shoals Hospital (Ballad Health) provides healthcare. Carter County Schools provides special education. Families travel to the Tri-Cities (Johnson City/Kingsport) for most specialized autism evaluation and therapy. TEIS is available for children under 3, and STEP provides free IEP advocacy statewide.
Provider directory
Local Providers18 providers in Carter County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed for accuracy before publication. To suggest a correction, use the “Suggest a correction” link below.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Johnson City · multi-county
Ballad Health — Johnson City Medical Center Developmental Pediatrics
Johnson City Medical Center (Ballad Health) is the major academic medical center in the Tri-Cities region. Ballad's developmental pediatrics and Niswonger Children's Hospital team provides autism evaluations for Washington County and Northeast Tennessee, serving as the regional hub for families from a broad mountain corridor.
Niswonger Children's Hospital is the Tri-Cities region's premier pediatric autism referral center. Ask for a direct developmental pediatrics appointment.
Elizabethton · multi-county
Sycamore Shoals Hospital — Developmental Referrals (Carter County)
Sycamore Shoals Hospital (Ballad Health) in Elizabethton is Carter County's community hospital. For autism evaluations, Ballad's Niswonger Children's Hospital in Johnson City (~15 miles west) is the regional hub and the primary referral destination for Carter County families.
Niswonger Children's in Johnson City (~15 miles) is the primary autism diagnostic center for Carter County families.
Mountain City · multi-county
Sycamore Shoals Hospital — Johnson County Referral
Johnson County families in Mountain City access developmental and autism evaluation services primarily through Sycamore Shoals Hospital in Elizabethton (~25 miles south) or Niswonger Children's Hospital in Johnson City (~35 miles south) within the Ballad Health network.
Johnson City (~35 miles south) is the nearest comprehensive autism evaluation center for Johnson County families.
Erwin · multi-county
Unicoi County Memorial Hospital — Developmental Referrals
Unicoi County Memorial Hospital in Erwin provides basic care and developmental referrals for Unicoi County. Autism evaluations typically route to Niswonger Children's Hospital in Johnson City (~15 miles north) within the Ballad Health system.
Johnson City (~15 miles north) is the primary autism evaluation hub for Unicoi County families.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Elizabethton
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) — Carter County
TEIS Part C early intervention for Carter County children birth to age 3. Free evaluations, IFSP planning, and in-home therapy services in Elizabethton and throughout Carter County's mountain communities.
Free under IDEA Part C. Self-refer by phone — no doctor referral required.
Mountain City · multi-county
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) — Johnson County
TEIS Part C early intervention for Johnson County children birth to age 3. Free evaluations and in-home therapy services in Mountain City and throughout this remote Appalachian county bordering Virginia and North Carolina.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Self-refer by phone.
Erwin · multi-county
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) — Unicoi County
TEIS Part C early intervention for Unicoi County children birth to age 3. Free evaluations and in-home therapy services in Erwin and throughout this narrow Nolichucky River valley county.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Self-refer by phone.
Johnson City · multi-county
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) — Washington County
TEIS Part C early intervention for Washington County children birth to age 3. Free evaluations, IFSP planning, and in-home therapy services in Johnson City and throughout Washington County.
Free under IDEA Part C. Self-refer by phone — no doctor referral required.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Elizabethton · multi-county
Centria Autism — Carter County
In-home ABA therapy serving Carter County families in Elizabethton and surrounding mountain communities. BCBA-supervised individualized programs accepting TennCare and commercial insurance.
Tennessee requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy. In-home model serves mountain communities well.
Mountain City · multi-county
Centria Autism — Johnson County
In-home ABA therapy serving Johnson County families in Mountain City and surrounding mountain communities of Northeast Tennessee. BCBA-supervised individualized programs accepting TennCare and commercial insurance.
Tennessee requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy. In-home model serves remote mountain communities.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Mountain City · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Remote Northeast TN (Johnson County)
Autism Tennessee connects Johnson County families near the Virginia/North Carolina tristate border to statewide peer support and resources. Virtual programming is the primary access point for this extremely rural Appalachian county.
Erwin · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Tri-Cities / Unicoi County
Autism Tennessee connects Unicoi County families to the Tri-Cities autism support network. Johnson City is just 15 miles north; Erwin families can access Tri-Cities area parent support groups and statewide resources.
Kingsport · multi-county
Tri-Cities Autism Support Network
Community-based support group serving autism families across the Tri-Cities region — Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol (TN and VA). Monthly meetings, parent peer support, and resource sharing for Sullivan County families.
Regional chapter connected to Autism Tennessee statewide network.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Elizabethton · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Carter County
STEP's Northeast Tennessee team serves Carter County families with free IEP advocacy and special education rights support. Essential resource for families in rural Carter County navigating the school system.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI.
Mountain City · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Johnson County
STEP's Northeast Tennessee team serves Johnson County families with free IEP advocacy and special education rights support. Essential for families in this remote Appalachian county near the Virginia border.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI.
Kingsport · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Northeast TN
STEP's Northeast Tennessee team serves Sullivan County and the Tri-Cities area. Free IEP coaching, special education rights training, and one-on-one support for families navigating Kingsport City Schools or Sullivan County Schools special education.
FREE. Also useful for families in the Virginia or North Carolina portions of the Tri-Cities area — STEP can advise on Tennessee-side resources.
Johnson City · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Tri-Cities/Washington County
STEP's Northeast Tennessee team serves Washington County families with free IEP advocacy, special education rights training, and one-on-one support navigating Washington County and Johnson City school systems.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI. Also helpful for families from nearby Southwest Virginia.
Erwin · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Unicoi County
STEP's Northeast Tennessee team serves Unicoi County families with free IEP advocacy and special education rights training. Essential for families navigating the small Unicoi County school district in Erwin.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Carter County families
Step-by-step help on the topics that matter most.
School & IEP
Navigating the IEP process
Your rights under IDEA, how evaluations work, and what every IEP section means.
Finding help
ABA, OT, speech and waitlists
How to find qualified providers, navigate insurance, and get off waitlists faster.
Getting started
Where to start after diagnosis
A week-by-week checklist for the first 90 days — from evaluation to early intervention.
Benefits & money
SSI, Medicaid waivers, ABLE accounts
Federal benefits your child may qualify for and how to apply without losing your spot.
Mental health
Co-occurring conditions and support
Managing anxiety, ADHD, and depression alongside an autism diagnosis.
Daily life
Sensory processing and OT
Understanding sensory needs, sensory diets, and how occupational therapy helps.
Adulthood
Employment, housing, legal planning
Supported employment, housing options, guardianship alternatives, and ABLE accounts.
See all Tennessee resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Tennessee.
Tennessee state guide →Nearby counties in Tennessee
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